Check out past events below!

Keep an eye out!

Entrepreneur Day Open House

On June 1st, 2024, HANDS, Orange Public Schools, Rising Tide Capital, and Athletic Arts Academy came together for an afternoon celebrating entrepreneurship in Greater Orange.

As part of NeighborWorks America Week, HANDS organized an open house to learn from and connect with local business owners. Participants enjoyed a mindfulness exercise, food from a local restaurant, and an entrepreneurship panel featuring local business owners. To recognize and honor Orange’s thriving business community, the mayor’s office also declared June 1st Entrepreneur Day.

A special thanks to our moderator and panelists:

  • Jay Savulich at Rising Tide Capital

  • Coach Iya at Athletic Arts Academy

  • Natasha Frazer at Hello Gorgeous

  • Daniel Collins at Collins Professional Sora LLC

  • Fatimah Turner at Inner City Cafe

2024 Community Leadership Awards: A Legacy of Connection

On February 1, 2024, HANDS was joined by community members, sponsors, local business leaders, friends and family, to celebrate local leadership that connects and uplifts our community.

Watch the event’s livestream below!

2022 Community Leadership Awards: Owning Our Future

HANDS’ 2022 Community Leadership Awards: Owning Our Future honored those who stepped up to address challenges and opportunities in an ever-changing economic and social landscape and in shaping the direction of their community.

Felicia Stokes, of Luxurious Wellniss, is an innovative local entrepreneur and HANDS tenant who was honored for bringing inclusive health and wellness initiatives to the local community.

UHL ARCHITECTURE

FELICIA STOKES

Joshua Uhl and Christian Uhl are Principals of Uhl Architecture, a multidisciplinary firm interested in the everyday aspects of our contemporary condition that make architecture engaging and enjoyable.

Winsome Wynter, an engaged community volunteer and Heart of Orange neighborhood advocate, is being honored for her efforts to engage youth on financial education, for being a Heart of Orange Neighborhood planning participant, an advocate for quality community services in the Heart of Orange, and a volunteer of HANDS’ Financial Capabilities Program.

WINSOME WYNTER

Friends of Metcalf Park is a community organization of dedicated volunteers being honored for gathering community and creating meaningful programming in Metcalf Park, one of the few municipal parks in Orange, NJ.

FRIENDS OF METCALF PARK

Sharee Harrison is a dedicated community leader being honored for being an engaged volunteer and consulting community organizer for HANDS and HUUB initiatives – specifically engaging community in Heart of Orange Planning process.

SHAREE HARRISON